Automatic sampling method for powdery material and XRF detection device

Abstract

The embodiment of the application discloses an automatic sampling and sample preparation method for powdery materials and an XRF detection device, which comprises sampling high-moisture materials, drying the sampled high-moisture materials, judging the working state of a detection device, if the working state is idle, conveying the dried high-moisture materials to the detection device, and detecting and analyzing the high-moisture materials by the detection device, discarding the detected and analyzed high-moisture materials, sampling low-moisture materials, judging the working state of the detection device, if the working state is idle, conveying the low-moisture materials to the detection device, and detecting and analyzing the low-moisture materials by the detection device, and discarding the detected and analyzed low-moisture materials. The technical problem of low sampling efficiency in the prior art can be solved by the method.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field, and more particularly to an automated sampling method and XRF detection device for powdery materials. Background Technology

[0002] At present, the demand for element content testing of powdered raw ores in the non-ferrous metal smelting field continues to increase. XRF detection technology has become the mainstream method for elemental composition analysis of non-ferrous metal raw ores due to its rapid detection and accurate results.

[0003] Currently, the sampling process for XRF detection of powdered materials is still mainly based on manual sampling, which has obvious drawbacks: the sampling is highly random, the sample characterization is easily affected by the subjective factors of the operator, and the sampling efficiency and frequency are low. Therefore, it is difficult to meet the requirements of high-precision and high-reliability online detection. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides an automated sampling method and XRF detection device for powdery materials, which can improve the technical problem of low sampling efficiency in the technology.

[0005] This application provides an automated sampling method for powdered materials, including sampling high-moisture materials; drying the sampled high-moisture materials; determining the working status of a detection device; if the working status is idle, conveying the dried high-moisture materials to the detection device and analyzing them; discarding the analyzed high-moisture materials; sampling low-moisture materials; determining the working status of the detection device; if the working status is idle, conveying the low-moisture materials to the detection device and analyzing them; discarding the analyzed low-moisture materials.

[0006] Beneficial effects: This application automates the sampling, drying, testing, and disposal processes for high-moisture and low-moisture materials, respectively, and intelligently schedules sample delivery based on the operating status of the testing equipment. This completely replaces manual sampling, fundamentally solving the problems of high randomness, poor sample characterization, and significant influence from human factors associated with manual sampling. Simultaneously, it achieves automated and continuous operation of the entire sampling, sample preparation, and testing process, significantly improving sampling efficiency and testing frequency, and meeting the requirements for high-precision and high-reliability online XRF testing of powdered materials. The separate drying treatment for high-moisture materials effectively reduces the interference of moisture on testing accuracy and improves the accuracy of test results. Attached Figure Description

[0007] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0008] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating an automated sampling method for powdered materials according to one embodiment of this application. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an XRF detection device in one embodiment of this application; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an XRF detection device in one embodiment of this application; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an XRF detection device in one embodiment of this application.

[0009] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 10. First storage device; 20. Second storage device; 30. Suction device; 31. High-pressure blower vacuum pump; 32. Vacuum pipeline; 33. Suction component; 34. Vacuum pipeline gate valve; 40. Drying device; 50. Vacuum material handling equipment; 60. Testing equipment; 70. Control system; 80. Auxiliary vacuum pump; 91. Waste pump; 92. Waste sample conveyor; 93. Waste sample container; 100. Sampling tube; 110. Material collection gate valve; 120. Interval adjustment device; 130. Expansion section. Detailed Implementation

[0010] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0011] It should be noted that all directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of this application are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of each component in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indicator will also change accordingly.

[0012] Furthermore, the use of terms such as "first," "second," etc., in this application is for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0013] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "connection," "fixed," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "fixed" can mean a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; it can mean a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can mean a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can mean the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0014] Furthermore, the technical solutions of the various embodiments of this application can be combined with each other, but only if they are based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be considered that such combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by this application.

[0015] like Figure 1 As shown, this application provides an automated sampling method for powdered materials, comprising: S1: Sampling of materials with high moisture content; S2: Dry the high-moisture material after sampling; S3: Determine the working status of the detection device 60. If the working status is idle, the dried high-moisture material is transported to the detection device 60 and the high-moisture material is detected and analyzed by the detection device 60. S4: Discard the high-moisture materials after testing and analysis; take samples of the low-moisture materials; S5: Determine the working status of the detection device 60. If the working status is idle, then transport the low-moisture material to the detection device 60 and perform detection and analysis on the low-moisture material through the detection device 60. S6: Discard the low-moisture materials after testing and analysis.

[0016] This application automates the sampling, drying, testing, and disposal processes for high-moisture and low-moisture materials, respectively, and intelligently schedules sample delivery based on the operating status of the testing equipment. This completely replaces manual sampling, fundamentally solving the problems of high randomness, poor sample characterization, and significant influence from human factors associated with manual sampling. Simultaneously, it achieves automated and continuous operation of the entire sampling, sample preparation, and testing process, significantly improving sampling efficiency and testing frequency, and meeting the high-precision, high-reliability online XRF testing requirements for powdered materials. The separate drying treatment for high-moisture materials effectively reduces the interference of moisture on testing accuracy and improves the accuracy of test results.

[0017] The XRF online detection, or X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy online detection, in this embodiment is a technology based on the principle of X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy analysis, integrated into industrial production lines or material conveying systems, enabling real-time, continuous, non-destructive, and automated rapid quantitative analysis of elemental composition. This technology uses high-energy X-rays to excite inner-shell electron transitions in the sample, generating characteristic X-ray fluorescence signals. After receiving these signals with a detector and performing spectral analysis, the types and contents of multiple elements in the material are rapidly obtained. It features no need for chemical pretreatment, high detection speed, stable operation, no pollution, and the ability to operate continuously and automatically for extended periods. It can provide real-time feedback of material composition information, meeting the high-precision and high-reliability online quality monitoring and component analysis needs of industrial sites.

[0018] According to one embodiment of this application, the sampling steps for high-moisture materials specifically include: opening the suction device 30 and the material collection gate valve 110 on the material pipe connected to the suction device 30; using the suction device 30 to collect samples from the first sampling point through the material pipe, with a single sampling amount of 1.5 kg. This embodiment achieves automated fixed-point sampling of high-moisture materials through the linkage control of the suction device 30 and the material collection gate valve 110, and accurately controls the single sampling amount to 1.5 kg, ensuring stable sampling amount and consistent sampling location, effectively avoiding the problem of poor sample representativeness caused by uneven sampling amount and position deviation in manual sampling; at the same time, the use of closed-loop pneumatic sampling eliminates dust leakage and external impurity contamination, improving the cleanliness and reliability of the sampling process, and the fully automated operation is fast, further improving sampling efficiency.

[0019] According to one embodiment of this application, the step of drying the sampled high-moisture material specifically includes: opening the first discharge gate to allow the high-moisture material to enter the drying device 40; and using the drying device 40 to reduce the moisture content of the high-moisture material to less than 8%. Automatic discharge through the first discharge gate enables automated conveying of the high-moisture material to the drying device 40, eliminating the need for manual transfer, improving process continuity, and controlling the material moisture content to below 8%. This eliminates signal interference and detection deviation caused by high moisture content in XRF detection, improving detection accuracy and data stability. Simultaneously, automated drying combined with moisture content control ensures that the sample meets the sample preparation requirements for online XRF detection, adapting to the needs of continuous and high-precision detection.

[0020] According to one embodiment of this application, the sampling step for low-moisture materials specifically includes: using a suction device 30 to sample from a second sampling point, with a single sampling amount of 1.5 kg. Automated sampling using the suction device 30, which collects low-moisture materials at a fixed point from the second sampling point and controls the single sampling amount to 1.5 kg, ensures uniform sampling amount and stable sampling location, avoids errors caused by manual sampling, and improves sample representativeness. The entire process is a closed pneumatic sampling method with no dust pollution, and the automated operation requires no manual intervention, further improving sampling efficiency and meeting the continuous sampling requirements of XRF online detection for low-moisture materials.

[0021] like Figures 2 to 4As shown, this application also provides an XRF detection device, which includes: a first storage device 10 for storing high-moisture materials; at least one second storage device 20 for storing low-moisture materials; a suction device 30 connected to the first storage device 10 and the second storage device 20 respectively via pipelines, the suction device 30 being used to collect high-moisture materials and low-moisture materials respectively; a drying device 40 located downstream of the suction device 30, the drying device 40 being used to dry the high-moisture materials collected by the suction device 30; a vacuum suction device 50 for collecting the dried high-moisture materials or low-moisture materials; a detection device 60 located downstream of the vacuum suction device 50, the detection device 60 being used to detect and analyze the dried high-moisture materials or low-moisture materials respectively; and a control system 70 communicatively connected to the suction device 30, the drying device 40, the vacuum suction device 50, and the detection device 60 respectively. This device employs a dual-path processing structure for high-moisture and low-moisture materials, combined with closed pneumatic suction and automated drying, to effectively eliminate the interference of moisture on XRF detection accuracy, significantly improving the stability and accuracy of detection data. It utilizes quantitative vacuum sampling and multi-point rotation scheduling to replace manual sampling, fundamentally solving the problems of high randomness, poor sample characterization, and significant influence from human factors in manual sampling. Simultaneously, it achieves continuous automated operation throughout the entire process of sampling, sample preparation, and detection, greatly improving sampling efficiency and detection frequency, meeting the requirements for high-precision and high-reliability online detection of powdery materials.

[0022] In this embodiment, both the first storage device 10 and the second storage device 20 are made of 304 stainless steel, with a cylinder diameter of 290mm, a height of 1100mm, and a storage capacity of 15Kg. The suction device 30 includes a high-pressure blower vacuum pump 31, a vacuum pipeline 32, and a suction component 33 installed on the vacuum pipeline 32. The high-pressure blower vacuum pump 31 has a motor power of 7.5Kw, a rated flow rate of 320m³ / h, and a rated suction force of -440mbar. The matching vacuum pipeline is a 206 stainless steel pipe with a diameter of DN50. The suction device 30 also includes a vacuum pipeline gate valve 34, which is a DN50 electromagnetic control valve. The valve operates at a pressure of -0.1MPa to 0MPa, and is powered by DC24V. The drying device 40 is a stainless steel U-shaped barrel structure, using a heat-conducting oil electric heating method. The drying time for a single cycle is about 15 minutes, which can reduce the moisture content of the material to below 8%. The vacuum feeding device 50 has a maximum conveying capacity of 1200kg / h, and is equipped with a discharge gate valve of size DN120, which is electrically controlled by DC24V. The testing device 60 is an XRF online testing device, which is suitable for testing powdery materials with a particle size not greater than 120 mesh. The control system 70 uses a PLC programmable controller to realize the fully automated control of sampling, drying, sample delivery, testing, and sample disposal.

[0023] In this embodiment, the XRF detection device is also equipped with an online material particle size screening module. The online material particle size screening module is located between the suction device 30 and the first storage device 10 and the second storage device 20. The screening module has a built-in vibrating screen, which can automatically separate coarse particles that exceed the particle size limit and return them to the conveyor belt, and only send fine powder that meets the detection requirements into the subsequent pipeline, so as to avoid pipeline blockage and detection deviation caused by coarse particles.

[0024] The XRF detection device is also equipped with a moisture content closed-loop control module. The moisture content closed-loop control module includes an online moisture sensor located at the discharge end of the drying device 40. The online moisture sensor is connected to the control system 70. When the moisture content of the detected material is not lower than the set threshold, the control system 70 controls the material to flow back to the drying device 40 for secondary drying until the moisture content meets the XRF detection requirements, thereby realizing closed-loop control of drying quality.

[0025] The XRF detection device is also equipped with an automatic sample homogenization module, which is located between the drying device 40 and the vacuum suction device 50. The homogenization module has a built-in bidirectional spiral stirring mechanism, which can fully mix and homogenize the collected materials, eliminate material component segregation, and further improve the representativeness of the samples and the repeatability of the detection data.

[0026] The XRF detection device is also equipped with an automatic standard sample calibration module, which includes a standard sample storage chamber and a quantitative pushing mechanism. The control system 70 controls the quantitative pushing mechanism to send the standard sample into the detection device 60 according to a preset cycle, thereby completing the automatic drift calibration of the detection device 60 and ensuring the accuracy and stability of long-term continuous detection.

[0027] According to one embodiment of this application, the XRF detection device further includes: an auxiliary vacuum pump 80, connected to the connecting pipelines of the vacuum suction device 50 and the drying device 40, and the connecting pipelines of the vacuum suction device 50 and the second storage device 20. By setting up the compensating auxiliary vacuum pump 80, vacuum pressure compensation can be performed on long-distance conveying pipelines, effectively overcoming the resistance and pressure attenuation along the pipeline, ensuring stable and efficient pneumatic sampling and material conveying at different installation distances, significantly improving the adaptability of the device to different site layouts and different conveying distances, and ensuring that sampling efficiency and sample delivery reliability are not affected by pipeline length.

[0028] In this embodiment, the auxiliary vacuum pump 80 adopts a high-pressure blower structure with a rated suction of not less than 440 mbar and a rated flow of not less than 320 m³ / h. It can ensure stable material suction in a long-distance vacuum pipeline 32 of 60–80 meters, with sufficient compensation for pipeline pressure loss, and prevent problems such as material blockage or insufficient material suction.

[0029] According to one embodiment of this application, the XRF detection device further includes: a waste pump 91, connected to the detection equipment 60 via a pipeline, the waste pump 91 being used to collect waste within the detection equipment 60; a waste sample conveyor 92, located downstream of the waste pump 91, the waste sample conveyor 92 being used to transport the waste collected by the waste pump 91; and a waste sample container 93, located downstream of the waste sample conveyor 92, the waste sample container 93 being used to contain the waste transported by the waste sample conveyor 92. The waste pump 91, waste sample conveyor 92, and waste sample container 93 form a complete closed waste sample circuit, realizing automatic suction, closed transport, and centralized collection of waste after detection. The entire process is dust-free, leak-free, and requires no human contact, ensuring on-site environmental protection and operational safety. No manual cleaning is required, further enhancing the continuous operation capability of the device.

[0030] The waste material vacuum suction assembly, the waste sample conveyor 92, and the sealed waste sample collection bin are connected in sequence to form a fully enclosed automatic waste sample disposal loop. After the test, the waste sample is quickly suctioned under negative pressure and sent into the collection bin through a sealed pipeline and conveying mechanism. The entire process is free from contact with the outside world, dust leakage, material spillage, and manual cleaning, significantly improving the on-site environmental protection level and operational safety. At the same time, it ensures that the device can operate continuously and automatically for a long time without interrupting the testing process.

[0031] In this embodiment, the waste pump 91 is a vacuum suction waste pump 91, which is linked with the main vacuum pump of the system under negative pressure to adapt to the suction of powdery materials. The waste sample conveyor 92 is a stainless steel screw conveyor driven by a stepper motor, which can deliver materials stably, without clogging or leaving any residue. The waste sample bucket 93 is a sealed collection bucket with a capacity that meets the waste collection needs of multiple rounds of continuous testing.

[0032] According to one embodiment of this application, multiple sampling tubes 100 are provided at the ends of the connecting pipes between the suction device 30 and the first storage device 10, and at the ends of the connecting pipes between the suction device 30 and the second storage device 20. The multiple sampling tubes 100 are arranged at intervals in the horizontal direction, and each sampling tube 100 is provided with a material collection gate valve 110. By uniformly arranging multiple sampling tubes 100 in the horizontal direction, full coverage sampling of the material cross-section on the conveyor belt is achieved. With the independent material collection gate valve 110 controlling the sampling in a time sequence, uniform sampling and strong representativeness are ensured, effectively improving the consistency of sample and overall material properties, avoiding the distortion of detection data caused by segregated sampling, and meeting the requirements of quantitative, stable, and repeatable automated sampling.

[0033] Each sampling tube 100 is equipped with an independent flow monitoring unit and a sampling weight feedback unit. The flow monitoring unit and the sampling weight feedback unit are respectively connected to the control system 70 for real-time acquisition of the powder flow rate and single sampling weight of each sampling tube 100, and the data is transmitted back to the control system 70 in real time. The control system 70 automatically adjusts the opening time and opening degree of the corresponding material collection gate valve 110 according to the preset total sampling amount and the sampling deviation of each pipeline, so as to achieve accurate and equal distribution of multi-pipeline sampling, ensure that the sampling amount of each pipeline is consistent and the total sampling amount is strictly constant, and completely eliminate the problem of uneven sampling caused by pipeline resistance and material flowability differences.

[0034] Meanwhile, each of the sampling tubes 100 is equipped with a rotatable scraper head at the bottom. The scraper head is driven by a micro drive motor and rotates at low speed during sampling to radially disturb and uniformly scrape the material on the conveyor belt, preventing sample segregation caused by sampling the surface and not being able to collect material from the bottom layer.

[0035] The leakage rate of the gate valve corresponding to a single sampling tube of 100 is ≤1×10 -7 Pa m³ / s, vacuum degree maintained ≤5×10 - 4 Pa, the gate is made of 304 stainless steel, the valve seat adopts a composite sealing structure, a single collection gate valve can collect about 500g of material, and multiple valve linkage can achieve a single quantitative sampling of 1.5kg.

[0036] According to one embodiment of this application, the XRF detection device further includes: an interval adjustment device 120, having a plurality of through holes spaced apart in the horizontal direction, each through hole corresponding to a sampling tube 100, the sampling tube 100 being inserted and connected to the through hole; wherein the interval between adjacent through holes can be adjusted in the horizontal direction. Through the adjustable interval adjustment device 120, the distribution spacing of the sampling tubes 100 on the belt cross-section can be flexibly changed, so that the sampling coverage area matches the width of the material flow, thereby improving the integrity and characterization of the sample, ensuring uniform sampling, and further improving the authenticity and stability of the XRF detection data.

[0037] The interval adjustment device 120 is made of stainless steel profile. The spacing between the through holes can be continuously adjusted according to the belt width and the material flow cross section to adapt to the sampling requirements of different bandwidth conveyor lines. After adjustment, the positioning is firm and the sampling tube 100 remains parallel and without deformation, ensuring uniform material sampling.

[0038] According to one embodiment of this application, the sampling tube 100 has a telescopic section 130, which is telescopic to adjust the length of the sampling tube 100. Equipped with the telescopic section 130, the sampling tube 100 can synchronously and adaptively adjust its length and orientation in accordance with the interval adjustment device 120, ensuring that the sampling tube 100 is always in the optimal sampling position and the pipeline remains unobstructed under different spacing and belt width conditions. This effectively avoids material blockage and poor suction caused by pipeline deformation and bending, further improving sampling stability and sample characterization.

[0039] The telescopic section 130 adopts a telescopic flexible hose structure, which extends and retracts in conjunction with the spacing adjustment action of the interval adjustment device 120. During the extension and retraction process, the pipeline remains smooth without being flattened or bent, adapting to different sampling depths and spacing adjustment requirements, and ensuring that the pipeline does not deform or blockage during vacuum material suction.

[0040] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this application and do not limit the patent scope of this application. Any equivalent structural transformations made based on the concept of this application and the contents of the specification and drawings of this application, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. An automated sampling method for powdery materials, characterized in that, include: Sampling of materials with high moisture content; The high-moisture material after sampling is dried; The working status of the detection equipment is determined. If the working status is idle, the dried high-moisture material is transported to the detection equipment and the high-moisture material is detected and analyzed by the detection equipment. The high-moisture material was discarded after testing and analysis. Sampling of materials with low moisture content; Determine the working status of the detection equipment. If the working status is idle, then transport the low-moisture material to the detection equipment and perform detection and analysis on the low-moisture material through the detection equipment. The low-moisture material was discarded after testing and analysis.

2. The automated sampling method for powdery materials according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sampling step for high-moisture materials specifically includes: Open the suction device and the material collection gate valve on the material pipe connected to the suction device; The suction device is used to take a sample from the first sampling point through the material tube, and the sample size is 1.5 kg per sample.

3. The automated sampling method for powdery materials according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of drying the sampled high-moisture material specifically includes: Open the first discharge gate to allow the high-moisture material to enter the drying device; The moisture content of the high-moisture material is reduced to less than 8% by using a drying device.

4. The automated sampling method for powdery materials according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of sampling low-moisture materials specifically includes: A suction device was used to take samples from the second sampling point, with a single sample volume of 1.5 kg.

5. An XRF detection device, characterized in that, The XRF detection device, applicable to the above-described automated sampling method for powdered transport materials, includes: The first storage device is used to store materials with high moisture content; At least one second storage device for storing low-moisture materials; The suction device is connected to the first storage device and the second storage device respectively through pipelines. The suction device is used to collect the high moisture material and the low moisture material respectively. A drying device is located downstream of the material suction device, and the drying device is used to dry the high-moisture material collected by the material suction device; A vacuum material collection device is used to collect the dried high-moisture material or the low-moisture material. A detection device is located downstream of the vacuum material feeding device, and the detection device is used to detect and analyze the dried high-moisture material or the low-moisture material respectively. The control system is communicatively connected to the material suction device, the drying device, the vacuum material suction device, and the detection device, respectively.

6. The XRF detection device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The XRF detection device further includes: An auxiliary vacuum pump is connected to the connecting pipeline between the vacuum suction device and the drying device, as well as the connecting pipeline between the vacuum suction device and the second storage device.

7. The XRF detection device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The XRF detection device further includes: A waste pump is connected to the detection equipment via a pipeline, and the waste pump is used to collect waste materials inside the detection equipment; A waste sample conveyor is located downstream of the waste material pump, and the waste sample conveyor is used to transport the waste material collected by the waste material pump; A waste sample container is located downstream of the waste sample conveyor and is used to contain the waste materials conveyed by the waste sample conveyor.

8. The XRF detection device according to claim 5, characterized in that, Multiple sampling tubes are provided at the ends of the connecting pipes between the suction device and the first storage device and the connecting pipes between the suction device and the second storage device. The multiple sampling tubes are arranged at intervals in the horizontal direction, and each sampling tube is provided with a material collection gate valve.

9. The XRF detection device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The XRF detection device further includes: An interval adjustment device has multiple through holes spaced apart in a horizontal direction, each through hole corresponding to a sampling tube, and the sampling tube is inserted and connected to the through hole; The spacing between adjacent through holes can be adjusted along the horizontal direction.

10. The XRF detection device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The sampling tube has a telescopic section that can extend and retract to adjust the length of the sampling tube.

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